Lever operating mechanism.



G. W. SEAMAN. LEVER OPERATING MECHANISM.

0 1 9 1 4 1 0 H D E L I F N 0 I T A 0 I B P P A Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

vwentot G. W. SEAMAN.

LEVER OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV.14, 1910.

1,036,916, 1 Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

STATIEBLEENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w. SEAMAN, or MANSFIELD, OHIO, Assrenon To THE AULTMAN & TAYLOR.

MACHINERY COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIOfA' CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LEVER OPERATIN G MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SEAMAN,

- a citizen of the United States of America residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State'of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lever Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for operating friction clutches or the like for traction engines or other road vehicles.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide means of operating two friction ,clutches through the medium of one operat- 1 simple and compact and requiring but few parts thereby insuring greater utility and reliability in its operation than can be obtained by the use of two operating levers actuated independent of each other to transmit reverse or forward movement to the tractor or the like.

Another feature of my invention consists in the means of operating and controlling two clutches by one lever independently of the other and by which the lever is maintained in a neutral position" and actuated instantly to operate either, clutch for forward or reverse movement of the tractor or the like.

These and other objects are accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in'the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged side view in perspective of the lever and operating mechanism connected thereto with a part of the bifurcated lower end of the lever partially broken away to showits operation more clearly. vFig. 2 is an elevation in perspective of the lower or bifurcated end of the operating lever. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view in perspective of the fulcrum bracket showing the shape of the slots and circular depression contiguous thereto that form fulcrums for the rollers of the operating lever. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the operating lever and its mechanism showing it con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 14, 1910.

Patented Aug. 27. 1912. Serial No. 592.406.

nected to one form ofan auxiliary operating mechanism used to operate friction clutches, both being applied to and mounted upon the frame-work of a gasolene traction ongme.

and 3 represent the longitudinal sills of the frame-work, 4 and 5 the angular cross pieces and 6 the floor or platform of the machine.

A fulcrum bracket 7 is securely attached toand supported by the angular cross piece 4- 'by the bolts 8 or in any other well known manner. The bracket 7 is provided with two inclined or radial slots 9. and 10 alined with each other. Circular depressions 11 and 12 are formed contiguous to one end of the slots parallel with each other and provide fulcrums for the lever hereinafter described. The lever 13 has two offset arms 14 "and 15 securely fastened to its lower ex- In the drawings. reference-numerals 1, 2

tremity by the bolts 16 and 17 thereby forming a bifurcated or forked end which is adapted to fit over the sides of the bracket and extend across the slots 9 and 10. Shafts 18 and 19 are fitted to suitable apertures provided in the arms of the lever and held in place by cotter pins 20- and 21. Rollers 22 and 23 are mounted upon the shafts. The arms forming the bifurcated end of the lever which extend on each side of the fulcrum bracket are connected thereto by the shafts 18 and 19 which pass through the slots 9 and 10 carrying rollers 22 and 23. Bifurcated members 24 and 25 are pivotally connected to the shafts 18. and 19 and operate within the arms 14 and 15 of the operating lever. Reach rods 26 and 27 are adjust ably connected to the bifurcated members 24 and 25 of the threaded interior of thebosses 28 and .29 which engage with the threaded exterior ofthe ends of the reach rods 26'and 27 and are locked in the adjusted position by the nuts 30 and 31. v In the arms 14 and 15 of the operating lever, apertures are. provided about midway between the shafts 18 and 19 and a pin 32 inserted therein and moves within the opening 33 when movement is imparted to the operating .lever. An eye bolt 34 engages the pin 32 having its threaded end 36 projecting through anape'rtur in the boss 37 of the fulcrum bracket 7. .A coil spring 38 surrounds the free end of the eye bolt 34 and is held in place under tension by the lock nuts 39 and-40 normally exerting its erating lever is moved in either direction,

the coll spring'is compressed and when itis released draws. the leverto its neutral position asshown by the full lines in Fig. 1.

In order to hold the operating lever at any position desired, I provide. a quadrant 41 which is, securely fastened to the floor or platform 6 adjacent to one side of the lever. Three notches a, b and 0 are provided in the edge of the quadrant. A look 42 and a lever 43 are connected .by a rod 43'- and .attached to the operating lever 13 and arranged so that the lock will aline and register with the notches a, b and c as theopcrating lever is moved to its forward, re verse and neutral positions, the spring 44 automatically forcing the lock to engage the notches. The lock can be withdrawn from the notches by compressingthe spring 44 by the pivotal lever 43' and the operating lever is then free to be moved to any point of its throw. The rollers 22 and 23 engage with the circular depressions 11 and 12 and alternately provide a fulcrum for the op erating lever. When the operating lever is neutral, the roller 23 is resting upon the circular depression 11. When the operating lever is moved in the direction indicated by reference letter A, the circular depression 11 provides the fulcrum for the lever and the roller 22 is forced to enter and travel in the slot 10 carrying the reach rod 26 in thedirection indicated by reference letter A. When the operating lever is moved in the direction indicated by reference letter B, the roller 23 is forced to enter and travel inthe slot 9 the circular depression 12 then becoming the fulcrum of the operating lever which carries the reach rod 27 in the direction indicated by reference letter B.

I will now describev the preferred auxiliary mechanism which is used in connection with my operating lever for .operating I upon the upper portion of the bracket hearing 47supportin andretaining the shaft in place.

The sha 50 is supported and ,re-

- tained in place by the collar 54'and a sepa rable crank 55 is rigidlysec'ured to its lower extremity at ri ht angles to the bent upper end 52of the aft. The crank 53 hasits end bifurcated and is pivotallyattached to the end of the reach rod 27. The crank 55 has itsend bifurcated and is pivotally attached to the reach rod 26, see Fig. 4. Outwardly extending brackets 56 and 57 are securely fastened to the frame-Work and connecting bars 58 and 59 are pivotally con tical shafts ,49 and 50 by the connecting bars 60 and 61 which connect the auxiliary operating mechanism to the operating lever and its operating mechanism.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the operating lever 13 is in the neutral position shown in full lines in Fig. l, the weight of the lever 13 and its cooperating parts causes the roller 23 to engage and rest in the circular depression 11 contiguous to the slot 9 thus providing a fulcrum for the lever 13 while it is being moved from the neutral position to the position shown by the dotted lines A in Fig. 1, and back to its neutral position. It will be noted that during this operation the shaft 19carrying the roller 22 will 'also be moved to the position shown by the dotted lines A, Fig.1 and with it the bifurcated end 24 and reach rod 26 thereby causing the vertical shaft 50 to partially rotate about its vertical axis through the medium of the lever 55. The crank end 52 being integral with the vertical shaft 50 will partially rotate about the same with it the connecting rod 61' and pivotally connected clutch bar 59 thus operating the axis causing it to be drawn inward carrying auxiliary clutch mechanism for one clutch.

In moving the operating lever 1 rom the neutral position to the position indicated by the dotted lines B shown in Fig. 1, the roller 23 is forced upward out of the circular depression 11 into the slot 9 causing the roller 22 to engage the circular depression 12 of .the slot 10, the roller 22 thus providing a fulcrum for the lever while the shaft 18 carrying the roller 23, bifurcated member 25 and reach rod 27 is being moved from the neutral position to the position shown by the dotted lines B, Fig. 1 and back to the neutral position.

I claim:

1. In a lever operating mechanism, a bracket having a pair of substantially horizontal superposed spaced slots therein one of the ends of each slot being formed with a depression and a vertical lever having an upper and a lower fixed projection which extend into the slots for'engagement in said depressions.

v2. In a lever operating mechanism, a

bracket having a pair of substantially horizontal superposed spaced slots therein one of the ends ofeach slot bein formed with a depression, said bracket being formed with an opening in the space between said slots? of the ends of-each slot being formed with a depression, said bracketbeing' formed a vertical lever having anupper and a lower rojection which extend in the pair of slots or engagement in said depressions, a pin carried by the-lever and extending in said opening between the pair of slots and a spring connection between said-pin and the bracket to normally retain the lever in neutral position, I j

3. In a lever operating mechanism, a bracket having a pair of substantially horizontal superposed spaced slots therein'one with an opening iuthe space between-said slots, a vertical lever having hn upper and a. lower rojection which extend in the pair of slots or engagementrin said depressions, a pin carried by the lever and extending in sa1d opening between the pair of slots,- a rod loosely connected to one end of the pin and having its other end passing through an aperture bracket, a spring encirclin bearing at one end against te bracke t, and means on the other end of the rod to restrict the movement of the spring.

4:. In a lever operating mechanism, a bracket having .a pair of substantially provided therefor in said the rod and" horizontal superposed spaced slots, a vertical lever having an upper and a lower fixed projection whichextend in said slots, and means to positively lock said lever in three positions, one in which the upper projection 1s at one end, of the upper slot, another in which the lowerprojection is at the same 5. In a lever operating mechanism, a

horizontal superposed spaced slots, a vertical lever having an upper and a lower fixed project-ion which extend in said slots, means at one end of .each slot to form a fulcrum for t e projections of the lever, and means to positively lock. said lever in three posithe lever occupies a vertical neutral position.

inpresence of two witnesses.

; I GEORGE W, SEAMAN, Witnesses: .x

JOHN H. Coss, PEARL M. AGKEBMAN.

bracket having a pair of substantially 'tions, one in which the-upper projection is at one end of the upper slot, another in I which the lower projection is at the same end of. the lower slot, and the thirdin which.

end of the lower slot, and the third in which the lever occupies a vertical neutral position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 

